Kansas University volleyball coach Ray Bechard gave his players extra rest in preparation for the Jayhawks’ NCAA Tournament opener tonight at Allen Fieldhouse, and his players say they can feel the difference. By Jesse Newell

With the Kansas University volleyball team hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament today at Allen Fieldhouse, here’s a quick glossary of some of the most popular terms that newcomers to the sport might hear tossed around at Allen Fieldhouse this weekend.

Not all those attending this weekend’s NCAA Tournament volleyball matches at Allen Fieldhouse will be experts in the sport. Free State High School volleyball coach Nancy Hopkins has a few pointers. By Jesse Newell

Thursday, November 29

Lawrence native and Kansas University volleyball senior Tayler Tolefree spent most of her youth dreaming of playing college volleyball far away from home. But the summer before her senior year of high school Tolefree changed her mind, allowing her to embark upon a career that made her dreams to come true in her hometown. By Matt Tait

She occasionally wears protective headgear during practices because she plays so hard, always wears a mouthpiece during matches and really never has been intimidated by anyone or anything on a volleyball court.

A student of the game of basketball, particularly the art of shooting, Kansas University freshman guard Andrew White III regularly pores over film of NBA greats Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Reggie Miller. By Gary Bedore

Sophomore forward Chelsea Gardner posted a career-high 26 points on 11-for-13 shooting, leading the Kansas women's basketball team to a 101-47 victory over Grambling State on Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse. By Jesse Newell

West Virginia playmaker Tavon Austin caught the eye of Kansas University football coach Charlie Weis, who hopes his defense won't be the latest to fall victim to the do-it-all player's talent. By Matt Tait

For now, Kansas University women’s basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson is going to consider it a positive sign that her team is 5-0 despite ranking last in the Big 12 in three-point shooting. By Jesse Newell

On a night when Kansas coach Bill Self said his team "didn’t do anything," KU center Jeff Withey saved the Jayhawks with KU's second official triple double in a 70-57 win over San Jose State. By Gary Bedore
• Box score
• KU coach Bill Self postgame audio
• Notebook: Zach Peters to leave KU basketball team because of health issues

Monday, November 26

At one point during San Jose State senior James Kinney's 30-point explosion at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday, the hot-shooting guard and Kansas University coach Bill Self enjoyed a fun-filled exchange of words. By Matt Tait

Zach Peters’ basketball career at Kansas University is over, as the freshman has health concerns that include four concussions in the last two years and a rotator cuff injury that has kept him from practicing this season. By Gary Bedore

Although Kansas University football coach Charlie Weis has had three different jobs since being fired as Notre Dame's head football coach following the 2009 season, people still ask him about the Fighting Irish all the time. It happened again on Monday morning's Big 12 coaches conference call, and Weis, who coached and recruited many current Notre Dame players, said he was thrilled that his former school and alma mater finished the season 12-0 and would play for the national title. By Matt Tait

Kansas University senior Carolyn Davis joined the 1,400-point club as No. 22 Kansas University remained undefeated with a 58-48 nonconference women’s basketball victory over Creighton on Sunday at D.J. Sokol Arena.

The Kansas volleyball team has been named one of 16 hosting sites for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and the Jayhawks will open play in the first round against Cleveland State on Friday at Allen Fieldhouse. By Jesse Newell

The Kansas University men's basketball team has had three different players start at power forward thus far this basketball season, but KU coach Bill Self says Kevin Young is the best fit for the Jayhawks right now. By Gary Bedore

When Notre Dame graduates Dayne Crist, Anthony McDonald and Mike Ragone decided to team together for one more season of college football, they envisioned a scenario that played out much differently than the one the senior transfers have experienced this season at Kansas University. By Matt Tait

The Kansas University volleyball team closed the best regular season in school history with sweep of Texas Tech on Saturday — KU's fourth straight sweep in the past two weeks — and sent the Jayhawks into Sunday's NCAA Selection show with smiles and excitement about their postseason prospects. By Matt Tait

The college basketball world is buzzing about Jack Taylor, a 5-foot-10 sophomore running-and-gunning machine from Grinnell (Iowa) College who scored an NCAA-record 138 points in Tuesday’s 179-104 victory over Faith Baptist Bible. “That is great, but that is not real,” Kansas University coach Bill Self said with a laugh. By Gary Bedore

Kansas University's women's basketball team beat Alabama A&M 76-59 Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse for the Jayhawks' most lopsided win of the young season and the 300th victory of coach Bonnie Henrickson's career. By Benton Smith

Kansas University junior forward Tania Jackson found out a few hours before the Jayhawks’ 64-58 victory over Wake Forest on Sunday at Allen Fieldhouse that she would start her first game in more than a year. By Benton Smith

With conference realignment waters stirring again, the Journal-World's Matt Tait looks at whether members of the Big 12, including Kansas University, should make moves of their own or sit this round out.

Wednesday, November 21

Junior libero Brianne Riley breaks one school record, sits on the brink of another

Playing in Allen Fieldhouse for the first time since 1999, the Kansas University volleyball team rolled over St. Louis University, 25-16, 25-16, 25-12, on Wednesday night and watched junior libero Brianne Riley set one school record and climb closer to another. By Matt Tait

The outrageously wide wingspan of Kansas University senior center Jeff Withey never touched more facets of a basketball game in the finishing minutes than it did Tuesday night in the CBE Classic title game in the Sprint Center. By Tom Keegan

The Kansas football will host seven home games in 2013, including the regular-season finale against Kansas State, as the team's 2013 schedule was approved by the Big 12 athletic directors Tuesday morning.

The Kansas University football program picked up its third oral commitment in two days on Monday night, when Ngalu Fusimalohi, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound guard from City College of San Francisco pledged his services to Charlie Weis and the Jayhawks.

Though Kansas coach Bill Self has started three power forwards in his team's first four games, he received an encouraging sign when all of them played well in Monday's blowout victory over Washington State, Journal-World sports editor Tom Keegan writes.
• Box score
• KU coach Bill Self postgame audio
• Travis Releford and Kevin Young audio

Though Kansas players didn't don party hats for their 200th victory in Kansas City, there was some reason for celebration, as the Jayhawks broke out of an offensive funk in a 78-41 victory over Washington State. By Gary Bedore
• Box score
• KU coach Bill Self postgame audio
• Travis Releford and Kevin Young audio

Washington State guard Royce Woolridge, who transferred after playing one year at Kansas University, said he didn’t have to work hard to convince his Cougars teammates they were facing a good team. By Jesse Newell

Freshman Bryce Hinde and junior Alison Lusk finished 2-3 in the 200-yard breaststroke to help Kansas University swimming and diving lock up a second-place finish at the Kansas Classic, which concluded Sunday at Capitol Federal Natatorium.

Former Kansas University basketball phenom Clyde Lovellette, who led the Jayhawks to the 1952 national title, was one of 10 individuals inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Sunday night at the Midland Theatre.

Dayne Crist obviously fell short of his billing as the short-term savior of the downtrodden Kansas University football program, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help KU in the long term. In fact, he already does every time he opens his mouth. By Tom Keegan

For the past seven weeks, the Kansas University football team has lived through a troubling pattern of following up a blowout loss with a close-call heartbreaker. Although the pattern continued this weekend with a tough home loss to Iowa State, KU coach Charlie Weis said he would continue to view each week as its own entity. By Matt Tait

The Kansas University football team picked up a pair of oral commitments from junior college players in the Class of 2013 over the weekend, as LB Samson Faifili and WR Mark Thomas became the 12th and 13th members of KU's commitment list in the Class of 2013. By Matt Tait

The Kansas football team had three good plays on Saturday night, Journal-World sports editor Tom Keegan writes. All three came from running back Tony Pierson, who can do a lot but can't do it all for this year's Jayhawks.

Iowa State backup quarterback Sam Richardson — who carried the ball twice and didn’t throw a pass in mop-up duty against Western Illinois the third week of the 2012 season — on Saturday was awarded appearance No. 2 at Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium. By Gary Bedore

In the event Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger is impressed enough to start looking into clearing the hurdles that stand in the way of selling beers, how would he go about lobbying for new legislation? “I haven’t even given it enough thought to know what the next step would be,” Zenger said. By Tom Keegan

Kansas University senior Christy Cash finished with a score of 239.95 in one-meter diving to lead the Jayhawk divers during Day Two of the Phil Hansel Invite at Campus Recreation & Wellness Center on Friday at the University of Houston.

Kansas University cornerback Greg Brown takes pride in lining up against the best offenses the Big 12 conference has to offer and looks to keep a strong senior season going today against Iowa State. By Matt Tait

Friday, November 16

Wayne Selden, a powerful combo guard from Massachusetts, and Frank Mason, a conventional point guard from Virginia, on Friday signed letters of intent to play basketball at Kansas University, coach Bill Self announced Friday night.

Thursday, November 15

Red-shirt freshman Ben McLemore's five dunks transformed Allen Fieldhouse and served as a loud reminder of what a foolish thing the NCAA did when it banned the dunk in college basketball from 1967 to 1976, writes Journal-World sports editor Tom Keegan.

Kansas University’s basketball team has been too busy to dwell on Tuesday night’s 67-64 loss to Michigan State at the Champions Classic in Atlanta. The Jayhawks (1-1), who arrived back in Lawrence at 1 a.m. Wednesday, held a cram session Wednesday afternoon for Chattanooga (1-0) — today’s opponent in a 7 p.m. CBE Classic game in Allen Fieldhouse. By Gary Bedore

Even though Kansas University women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson had every intention of limiting senior forward Carolyn Davis's minutes Wednesday night against Southeast Missouri State, she couldn't resist going back to her star post player late and KU held on for a 68-58 victory. By Benton Smith

Despite getting very little from its passing game throughout the 2012 season, the Kansas University football team has run the ball successfully week in and week out and the Jayhawks rank as the Big 12's second best rushing team.

Kansas University women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson thinks her team needs to be more physical on offense and finish through contact. The Jayhawks will get their chance to play tough when they face Southeast Missouri State tonight at Allen Fieldhouse. By Benton Smith

Kansas University red-shirt freshman forward Jamari Traylor had a vicious one-handed put back dunk of an Elijah Johnson miss, took a charge and had three blocked shots in the Jayhawks’ 67-64 loss to Michigan State on Tuesday in the Georgia Dome.

Perry Ellis used beyond-his-years basketball skills to lead Wichita Heights High to four consecutive state titles. But he never had faced a band of bruisers akin to Michigan State's big men and his long night amounted to a valuable basketball education. By Tom Keegan

KU football coach Charlie Weis is passionate about his first bunch of KU seniors, which will play the final home games of their careers Saturday at Memorial Stadium against Iowa State. Tuesday, the first-year coach shared his thoughts on why these guys are so important to him and the program. By Matt Tait

Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self says his young team will face a tough test tonight against Michigan State in a primetime, powerhouse match-up at the Champions Classic in Atlanta. By Gary Bedore

More interested in becoming a finished product than winning a season opener, members of Kansas University's women's basketball team had self-critiques instead of flowery reviews following a 52-36 victory over Idaho State University Sunday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse. By Benton Smith

Saturday, November 10

Elijah Johnson had as many fouls (five) as points and assists combined (five) in Kansas University’s 74-55 season-opening victory over Southeast Missouri State on Friday night in Allen Fieldhouse. By Gary Bedore

With life on the road being awfully unkind to the Kansas University football program during the past few seasons, KU coach Charlie Weis altered KU's travel plans this week in hopes of fielding a more focused football team during Saturday's game against Texas Tech.

How did an undermanned Kansas football team push Texas Tech beyond regulation? Journal-World sports editor Tom Keegan says the Jayhawks were prepared to play, and a lot of the credit for that has to go to the man at the top.

Game plan caught Tech off guard

While scouting earlier in the week, Texas Tech defensive coordinator Art Kaufman watched film of about 230 Kansas plays. He only remembers four or five of them being speed-options — the plays that burned TTU for the biggest yardage Saturday. By Jesse Newell

When Texas Tech hired Tommy Tuberville to take over for Mike Leach in January of 2010 — just weeks after Kansas University had removed Mark Mangino and hired Turner Gill to take his place — the people in power at Tech spoke about an opportunity to get Texas Tech football back on track. By Matt Tait

Friday, November 9

Kansas University freshman forward Perry Ellis scored 15 points in the Jayhawks’ 74-55 victory over SE Missouri State on Friday night in Allen Fieldhouse. It marked the most points scored in a debut by a Jayhawk newcomer since Josh Selby’s 21 points versus USC on Dec. 18, 2010.

The Jayhawks, who couldn’t miss at shootaround Friday afternoon, made just two of 21 three-point tries in a workmanlike — some might say ugly — 74-55 regular-season opening victory over Southeast Missouri on Friday night. By Gary Bedore

Center ready to ‘bring it’ tonight in season opener

Jeff Withey, who was named first-team preseason All-Big 12 and honorable mention All-America, said he doesn’t know why he’s been spaced out, but he says he's focused heading into tonight's season opener. By Gary Bedore

Fourth-year junior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc became the second Kansas University volleyball player in program history named to the Capital One Academic All-District 7 First Team, and KU junior setter Erin McNorton was named to the second team announced by CoSIDA on Thursday.

Kansas senior offensive lineman Trevor Marrongelli was named to the Capitol One CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 football team, it was announced Thursday. Marrongelli has earned a spot on the team for the second-straight year.

Kansas freshman forward Landen Lucas will sit out Friday's season-opener against SE Missouri State in order to keep a red-shirt option open, KU coach Bill Self said at his weekly press conference Thursday. By Jesse Newell

Wednesday, November 7

Sophomore outside hitter Sara McClinton led Kansas University with 16 kills to power the 23rd-ranked KU volleyball team to a season series sweep of No. 17 Kansas State on Wednesday night at Ahearn Fieldhouse.

It's a well-known fact that every week in the Big 12 conference is a challenge for defenses. But the Kansas University football team is smack dab in the middle of playing two of the team's fastest offenses, Baylor last week and Texas Tech this Saturday. By Matt Tait

Tuesday, November 6

It’s been a rough season for Kansas University quarterbacks, but not all of them have endured rough week after rough week. Although watching the Jayhawks struggle on the field has been tough, junior QB Jake Heaps, a transfer from BYU, has gotten a lot out of the 2012 season. Story by Matt Tait

Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self laments the fact the ball didn’t touch the paint much in KU’s 12-point victory over Washburn on Monday. Self said passive play by his seniors had a lot to do with it. Story by Gary Bedore

The Kansas men's basketball team's 62 points were by far the fewest points scored by the Jayhawks in a home exhibition contest in school history. KU coach Bill Self called his team's offense 'beyond bad.' By Gary Bedore

Despite shooting just 26 percent for the game, the Washburn Ichabods, ranked second in the preseason Div. II college basketball polls, forced 24 Kansas turnovers and forced a long night for the home team in Kansas' 62-50 exhibition victory on Monday at Allen Fieldhouse. By Matt Tait

Former Kansas University running back Jon Cornish broke a 56-year-old CFL record by becoming the first Canadian-born player since 1956 to lead the league in rushing. Amazingly, Cornish's total of 1,457 yards was the exact number he finished with in 2006 when he set the KU single-season record.

Basketball fans will find out tonight what happens when one of the top teams in NCAA Div. I takes on one of the elite teams in Div. II. Tipoff for an intriguing exhibition contest between No. 7-ranked Kansas University and No. 2 Washburn is 7 p.m., in Allen Fieldhouse. Story by Gary Bedore

Sunday, November 4

He scored 54 points in a game as a sophomore in high school and idolizes Jamal Crawford, an NBA player who starts shooting before he steps off the bus. But Kansas guard Rio Adams is trying hard to play within himself during his freshman year. Column by Tom Keegan

Ten of the 11 players on Kansas University women's basketball team scored and nine had at least one assist in the Jayhawks' 88-43 exhibition dismantling of NCAA Division II Fort Hays State Sunday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse. By Benton Smith

The Kansas football team's losing streak away from Memorial Stadium has spanned three coaches, five quarterbacks and 10 states. Journal-World sports editor Tom Keegan says no matter the location, the script hasn't seemed to change for the desperate Jayhawks.

Kansas coach Charlie Weis once again had his team in a competitive game at halftime, only to see an opponent dominate the Jayhawks after the break. One of Weis' biggest issues continues to be his team's lack of production at quarterback. By Matt Tait

Brandon Rush's season is over after two games. Rush's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said Saturday that an MRI exam on the Golden State Warriors' top reserve revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee

Friday, November 2

With 12 minutes remaining in last year’s game against Baylor in Lawrence, Kansas University’s football team led the Bears, 24-3, and seemed headed toward its first victory in two months. But Baylor rallied … and don't think KU has forgotten. By Matt Tait

There was a time when being the starting quarterback for a Big 12 football program in a game that took place just 60 miles from his childhood home seemed like a pipe dream for Kansas University quarterback Michael Cummings. By Matt Tait

If Kansas University would have beaten Texas in a football game Saturday, walk-on kicker Nick Prolago would have been the unlikeliest hero in the history of KU football. Instead, Texas came from behind to win the game in Memorial Stadium with 12 seconds left. Sports editor Tom Keegan tells the story of Prolago's journey to KU.